CUSEC, working with the South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD), recently provided an informational presentation on earthquake mitigation for hospitals to the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA), Emergency Managers’ Society in Columbia, South Carolina. Although South Carolina (a CUSEC Associate Member State) has a moderate to high earthquake risk, this was the first time in several years that SCHA has focused on earthquake hazards at their annual conference.
During the presentation CUSEC and SCEMD discussed ways in which hospitals can be more prepared for earthquakes, particularly by using methods outlined in FEMA’s “Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation of Hospital Buildings (FEMA 396)” and the “Earthquake Mitigation for Hospitals Workshop (FEMA P-767)“. Both programs are a result of the FEMA Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration’s (FIMA) initiative to improve understanding and implementation of earthquake mitigation under the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction (NEHRP) program.
CUSEC would like to thank the South Carolina Hospital Association for their proactive efforts to educate their members about earthquake risk reduction.